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Defuniak Springs - an 1887 library, train depot & Fl. highest elevation

12/21/2021

The town was founded during the late 19th century as a resort development by the officers of the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad, a subsidiary of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The town contains several historically significant landmarks. The Walton County Library is located on Circle Drive, the oldest existing library in the state of Florida. The library contains antiquities, including an impressive medieval weapon collection, in addition to many first-edition books. Also situated on Circle Drive are the Walton County Heritage Museum, housed in the former L&N railroad depot, and St. Agatha's Episcopal Church, built in 1895–1896. Wiki

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Of special interest to Ginger and me is the Walton-DeFuniak Library (noted above) which is in use today, and has been in operation since 1887. We suggest you take the time to go inside. The librarians are pleasant, helpful and are happy to offer a mini guided tour. There are interesting exhibits inside, including a collection of medieval armor from the Crusades and muskets from the American colonial era. If weather permits, grab a bench at the lake and enjoy a quiet few moments.

Photo Opportunities (see www.whatthreewords.com locations by inserting 3 words into site)
.. Defuniak Historical District ... ///clambered.airship.squid
.. The Walton-DeFuniak Library - exterior and interior ... ///humbler.sensitivity.muddle
.. The former L&N railroad depot downtown - from the center tracks XXX see wiki for depot
.. The Big Little Store
.. Historical Buildings -

Resources:
Wiki ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeFuniak_Springs,_Florida
Defuniak Springs ... https://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/defuniak-springs-florida.html

Defuniak Springs Train Depot - Click Here

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Pensacola - Old Town and Naval Air Station

12/12/2021

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Pensacola ... the last of our Panhandle journey from St Marks. Pensacola is the most westerly city in Florida and one of the oldest and most historical in America, with a settlement that predated even St. Augustine's (but only lasted a short time). Pensacola became part of the U.S. in 1821, and it was officially incorporated in 1825. Its history far predates this time, and it was ruled by five different flags in its history. So much to see in Pensacola from the historic district, to the lighthouse to the waterfront, it could take days to see it all. Lots of rich history. See Pensacola Wiki

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There is much to see in Pensacola. What originally attracted us to Pensacola was when we started our Florida exploration searching for land-based light houses throughout Florida. We learned that not only does Pensacola have great sunsets, and an old town district, and is the home of the Naval air Station. Most recently, we found online that there was a bridge that has become the graffiti magnet for local artists and would-be artists.

Photo Ops:

The Historic District buildings
Pensacola Lighthouse
Sunset
Naval Air Museum
Graffiti Bridge

Resources:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensacola,_Florida
Historic Pensacola ... historicpensacola.org/

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Pensacola - Fort Pickens

12/12/2021

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Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens.The fort was completed in 1834 and was one of the few forts in the South that remained in Union hands throughout the American Civil War. It remained in use until 1947. Fort Pickens is included within the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Source: Wiki

Ft Pickens guarded the island and the entrance to the harbor. Its construction was supervised by Colonel William H. Chase of the Corps of Army Engineer. Using slave labor, the fort used over twenty-two million bricks and was intended to be impregnable to attack.

Personal notes & photos
We have mostly avoided traveling the coast route to get to Ft Pickens, since we always had a little pressure to get to the Scarlet Pearl in enough time for Ginger to work the tables. However, this time we recognized that this was historic and there most likely would be great photo opportunities. The coastal road was narrow and slow going, but somewhat interesting to see this part of the Panhandle. Once we arrived at the State Park, the Ranger allowed us no fee access for those who served in any military branch.

The gloomy and rather cold day added an interesting feel as we began our self-tour and realized how large this fort and surroundings were. There were catacombs, ammo storage vaults and cannons that provided a great opportunity for interesting photos. I can only imagine what it was like back then - no wifi, computers, TV, clean bathroom facilities - how good we have it today. Halfway through our self-tour, Ginger wanted to return to the car - we were not properly prepared for the chill that existed both inside and outside. Her comment "see ya ... but it's too chilly ... and don't wanna be ya". We were so glad to have added several hours to our Biloxi journey.

Photo Ops

(maybe) beach scrub brush and small dunes en route
Ft Pickens entrance columns
Ft Pickens 'underground' bunkers, cannons, hallways and more

Resources:
wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pickens
Gulf Islands National Seashore ... www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/fort-pickens.htm

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Winter Garden

12/8/2021

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Winter Garden, just west of Orlando and its theme parks, is known for its old Florida style and charm, and a great place to visit in Central Florida.
The historic downtown, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, is a favorite destination, with shops and restaurants situated along the award-winning West Orange Trail, part of the 250-mile Coast to Coast (C2C) Connector Trail across Central Florida. If you’re a cycling enthusiast, this is the place for you.

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Bob and Pam suggested we take a road trip to Winter Garden for the shopping and the Christmas lighting. We found the area very attractive, the lights display was very nice and the on-street dining (pizza) was just what we needed. We did have an opportunity to people watch and shop (more than Bob and I wanted).

However, besides capturing the train depot and the decorations for the season, we did check out the interior of the historic Edgewater hotel the hotel has undergone a historic restoration to provide guests with as much of the original 1927 ambiance as possible while making modern comforts such as climate control and wireless internet as unobtrusive as possible. From the antique sinks and fixtures to the original 1926 Otis elevator, we learned it is not like any other in Orlando.

Photo Ops:

Main Street
Water Tower
Train Depot
Historic Edgewater Hotel

Resources:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Garden,_Florida
History ... www.cwgdn.com/398/History
Edgewater Hotel ... historicedgewater.com/
Visit Florida - Winter Garden ... www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/central/winter-garden/

Winter Garden Historic Train Depot Here

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Ozello - dark sky and Peck's Restaurant

12/8/2021

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"OZELLO, FL — Sometimes, if the journey is pleasant enough, it’s nice to go no place in particular. And while the fishing village of Ozello is certainly someplace in general, the road to Ozello is well worth investigating for its own sake." - Florida Traveler

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Just north of us about two hours is Ozello, an end of the road community that many do not know exist. We were introduced to Ozello through our friends Eddie and Linda. Their experience stemmed from their love for seafood and "the place you want to have crab and shrimp" - Peck's Old Port Cove. We have been there on several occasions and learned that much of the seafood is caught locally. For instance, local crabbers bring their catch daily to Peck's for sale.

You must call ahead (typically 4-6 hours before planned arrival to reserve your crabs since they are a prime choice of most diners. Me, personally prefer the garlic shrimp dinner - more than enough to enjoy there and bring home. A must-do after dinner is to shoot the sunset and then enjoy the dark night sky in a folding chair, since the location has no extraneous street lights and no traffic.

Resources:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozello,_Florida
Florida Traveler ... https://floridatraveler.com/ozello-trail/
Florida Backroads Travel ... www.florida-backroads-travel.com/ozello-florida.html

Photo Ops:

Sunset
Ozello Trail (Rt 19 to Peck's) docks, buildings along the route
Peck's signage overlooking the water
Peck's night time

Arial View - Photo by Florida Traveler

Sunset

Peck's Old Port Cove

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Tarpon Springs - sponge docks

12/5/2021

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Tarpon Springs' charming downtown center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors to the Historic District (waterfront) can stroll along brick streets while browsing in art galleries, antiques stores, and specialty shops housed in buildings dating from the late 1800s. Several great dining areas and activities for the family.

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Tarpon is a great place to visit with friends and Florida visitors. My first photo shoot of Tarpon with the FCCP group (Florida Center of Creative Photography). We found the daytime was best for walking the main street, visiting shops, having lunch or dinner in one of many restaurants and capturing the activity on the docks (in the morning). However, being my passion is low-light, you need to come back and see the golden hour and after sunset street scenes for the lighted docks and shops. Being less than 45 minutes away, we may swing by the area to see what's going on, shop for grape leaves in any of the markets and maybe grab a Greek salad for lunch.

To Do: Visit the Welcome Center; Railway Station; Greek dining
About: To learn more about Tarpon Springs - its history, geography, culture and more ... click here.

Suggested Photo Opportunities: